HIS109Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Protestantism, John Calvin, Indulgence
Document Summary
Northern christian humanists, they wanted to return to a simpler religion. The idea that you had to pass through a hierarchy to approach god, it was being seriously challenged. Popular preachers said the church is a mess, backing the wrong pope and you"ll go to hell. Cults of popular religion was popular in the 14-15th century. Born in 1483, he had been a peasant and his father entered the middle class. Luther"s movement towards the spiritual life had begun long before. Decision to join the monastery, to give his spirit some rest from the continuous struggle. His necessity to be perfect made him an outstanding scholar. He didn"t sleep much at night, since he read so much. The actual revolution was sparked by an insignificant moment: He"s willing to argue with anyone about the nature of indulgences. Luther"s books were burned and he barely escaped being burned himself. He encouraged the landlords and powers to kill.
